Adoption criteria

Our dogs need new families who are reliable, trustworthy, friendly, warm, fun, and above all love dogs!

We have put together a few important adoption criteria to help both the prospective adopter and the dog.

  • Previous experience of the breed is nice but not essential as long as you understand they are loving but independent and only obey you if they see a reason to. They also do not respond well to raised voices or harsh training methods. However they can be dominant so you need to be confident, fair and consistent with them or they will have no respect for you.
  • Shar Pei like human company and they like you to be nearby. They need to live in and be treated as a valued member of the family and do not make good candidates for being kenneled. They are tolerant of you spending time away from them for a couple of hours, but not the whole day so it’s a good idea if someone is at home with them the majority of the time. It’s not really fair to leave any dog alone if you work full time and are away for eight hours or more. Remember, every time you step out of the door the dog doesn’t know if you are coming back.
  • They are no more expensive to keep than any other dog in reality, but they do have needs so be prepared to take them to the vet for an annual check-up and act promptly if they are sick.
  • Taking on a rescue dog should not be seen as a way to get a pedigree dog on the cheap. They still require the same vet treatment as a puppy purchased for £800 would and if the unforeseen should happen, that can be very expensive indeed.
  • Ideally, you should have a garden at your home. Shar Pei don’t need hours of exercise and some will happily self-exercise in this kind of environment, especially with another canine friend. However, a daily walk or two is always a good idea as it stops the boredom creeping in, mentally stimulates them with a different environment and keeps them well socialized.
  • Shar Pei are extremely clean and will not use their garden as a toilet so be prepared to let them out for a regular ‘potty-break’. They tend to travel quite well on the whole especially once they have settled in to their new home.